EDITOR’S NOTE: “Signs and Wonders” is a column that shares thoughts on news items that either don’t quite rise to the level of a news story for MinistryWatch, or are slightly (perhaps even significantly) outside our normal charity and philanthropy “beat.” My goal is to be punchy, opinionated, and slightly off-brand. If that’s not quite for you, no hard feelings. But if it is…read on.
Jen Hatmaker Deconstructs. Christian celebrity influencers leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. Whether they be the Duck Dynasty family, the Chrisleys, the Duggars, Chip and Joanna Gaines or — to get to the point here — Jen Hatmaker, whose home renovation show on HGTV once had a loyal following among evangelicals. All of them (even the ones that don’t melt down altogether, as the Chrisleys did) do little more than put a thin Christian-ish veneer over what is essentially banal, trivial entertainment. Jen Hatmaker fell from her evangelical pedestal when she came out in favor of same-sex marriage, and her reputation was further tarnished when she and her pastor husband divorced. Now she’s back, blaming her erstwhile fans (among others) for her mistakes. I hesitate to elevate her profile here, except that it’s too late. Her new book and mea culpa tour has already hit The New York Times and other major media outlets. For an antidote to all that, or at least a temporary inoculation, I recommend this article by Denny Burk.
A Baptist Lion at Rest. When my family moved to northeast Cobb County, a northern suburb of Atlanta, in 1970, we immediately started looking for a church. After visiting all the churches close by, we finally ended up driving 25 minutes to Roswell Street Baptist Church, then led by Nelson Price. That moment began a six-year sojourn at RSBC, one that had a lasting and positive impact on me and my family. Under his leadership, RSBC became one of the largest churches in the nation. He also held leadership positions beyond the church, including chairman of the National Board of Trustees of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes from 1999 to 2005, president of the SBC Pastors’ Conference in 1987, president of the Georgia Baptist Convention from 1982 to ’83, trustee of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and trustee at Louisiana College. Nelson Price died last week at age 94. He left a godly legacy, and — by me at least — he will be missed.
Everybody’s Got a Song. I’m in Nashville this week, and as much as I love my hometown of Charlotte, I have to say that there’s no place like this town. In the words of Andrew Peterson’s homage to his adopted hometown: “Oh, I love this city. Everybody’s got a song.” Peterson himself has more than a song, he has albums and albums of them, and two of them celebrate birthdays this year. “Carried Along” is 25 years old, and “The Far Country” is 20 years old. To celebrate, he held a concert Tuesday at Christ Community Church in Franklin. I was one of about a thousand in attendance, some coming from as far away as California and the Pacific Northwest. He played a few songs from “Carried Along” (including my favorite “Nothing to Say”). Then, after a short intermission, he played through the entire “Far Country” album. Guests included Ben Shive, Jill Phillips, Andrew Osenga, Gabe Scott, and Andy Gullahorn. A highlight for me was his cover of Marc Cohn’s “Ghost Train.” You can watch my iPhone recording of that song here.
Access to MinistryWatch content is free. However, we hope you will support our work with your prayers and financial gifts. To make a donation, click here.
Truth Rising. My former colleagues at The Colson Center for Christian Worldview have teamed up with Focus on the Family to produce “Truth Rising,” a documentary hosted by Os Guinness and John Stonestreet. The film is in some ways a successor to the 2007 film series by Focus on the Family called “The Truth Project.” The film is available for free online, and you can read an early review here.
Hike On. When I was 17 years old, I graduated from high school early so I could hike the Appalachian Trail. However, as I was planning that trip, I was offered a job as a backpacking guide in the Rocky Mountains. I couldn’t say no to that opportunity, so I had to cut my Appalachian Trail dream short. I spent 40 days on the trail and hiked about 700 miles. And, as part of my preparation I read about Gene Espy, the second person to hike the entire 2,100-mile trail, in 1951, and a legend in the thru-hiker community. Espy died this week at age 98. Espy was a committed Christian who used his hike to share his faith in God. “I got what I intended out of the Appalachian Trail,” he once said. “I got to see God’s work in nature.” To read a moving account of Espy’s life, I recommend Daniel Silliman’s obituary of Espy, which you can find here.
TO OUR READERS: The mission of MinistryWatch is to help Christian donors become more faithful stewards of the resources God has entrusted to them. Do you know of a story that will help us fulfill our mission, or do you want to give us feedback about this or any other story? If so, please email us at info@ministrywatch.com